A Normal Day At Last
by PepsiAngel
Summary: Natalie McDonald's first day as a second year. She is glad to have her first "normal" day since starting at Hogwarts.


A Normal Day At Last

****

By _PepsiAngel  
_

****

Disclaimer: Everything and everyone you recognize belongs completely to J.K. Rowling, I am just borrowing it. A few original characters appear in the story, and they belong to me.   


****

Author's Note: I hope you like it! By the end of the story you'll see that I really like the idea of somebody having a crush on Dennis Creevey. Oh, and no sorting hat song from me for I am uncreative. Kindly read and review.

Natalie McDonald, a second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, waved to her parents as she boarded the Hogwarts Express.  


"Where to sit, where to sit…" Natalie murmured. She opened one compartment door, only to find it occupied by a red haired boy and a girl with a bushy mane.

"Where IS he?" She heard the girl ask the red head worriedly.

"Don't worry, he'll be here," Red Head reassured Bushy Hair but he sounded anxious himself.

"Sorry," Natalie muttered in embarrassment. She gladly noted that they did not seem to notice her presence and she quickly turned and left.

At this time a familiar voice exclaimed, "Natalie, in here!" Natalie looked into the open compartment door to her left, inside was her friend Linda Abbott and her older sister, Hannah.

"Well, now that you have some company, I can get back to my friends." Hannah said and happily bounced out of the room with a wave.

Immediately, Natalie apologized, "I'm sorry I did not send you an owl, I was dreadful busy."

"Oh no, don't be!" Linda waved her apology off with a laugh.

"Alright," Natalie agreed reluctantly.   


The twelve year olds were so different, not even they could understand why they were friends. Linda, bubbly and always happy, was constantly telling Natalie to lighten up. But it was part of Natalie's serious, bookish personality to worry.

"Our first year was so eventful and exciting. I hope this year is the same way," mused Linda.

"I surely hope _not_," stated Natalie.

Linda wouldn't budge on the topic, "Oh, I know horrible things happened but it was really exciting!"  


"Someone died, Linda." Natalie reminded her, though she didn't need her memory jogged.

"Yes, but," began Linda, only to be interrupted by the cart woman.

The plump witch broke into their conversation to ask merrily, "Would you like anything?"

Natalie and Linda both eagerly pulled a sickle from their pockets.   


"A bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans," said Linda.

Meanwhile, Natalie ordered a chocolate frog, once again showing how different they were. "I hope I get Dumbledore," she commented as the cart rolled away. She shut the door and sat back down.

"I have three of him already," commented Linda as if it were no big deal. The girls continued to eat their snacks in silence.

Suddenly, the compartment door slid open and broke the silence. "Nat, Linda!" Their friend, Jessi Anderson, greeted them.

"Jessi! Hey!" Squeaked Linda gleefully as they hugged.  


Natalie stayed seated, "Hello, Jessi."

Jessi simply rolled her eyes, "Stop being so formal." She threw her arms around Natalie in a friendly hug.

Natalie smiled, "How was your vacation?"  


"Excellent," replied Jessi as she plopped down next to Linda. She helped herself to a bean (strawberry jam flavored) before continuing. "Ireland is just beautiful."  


For the rest of the trip they discussed their vacations. Some time later, the Hogwarts Express came to a smooth halt. The girls pulled their black Hogwarts robes on and picked up their luggage. They slowly made their way to the front of the train.  


"It's sunny," commented Natalie as they climbed off the scarlet train.  


"Firs' years, over here!" Shouted Hagrid, the grounds keeper.  


The three friends climbed into a carriage, which began slowly making its way toward the castle almost instantly. Through the gates and up the drive the carriages rolled. The line of carriages all came to a heaving stop in front of Hogwarts.  


Natalie led the way up the stone steps and into the school. They filed into the great Hall after the flow of students.  


"Wow," whispered Jessi, looking up at the ceiling that was bewitched to look like the night sky. "I forgot how striking it is."  


"Yes, so did I." Agreed Natalie as they sat down at the far table with their fellow Gryffindors.  


After a few minutes of greeting each other the Gryffindor table, along with the whole hall, fell silent. Professor McGonagall was leading the first years in to be sorted.  


"There's my sister," muttered Jessi. She was pointing to a small, caramel skinned girl in the middle of the line.  


The frayed old hat sitting on the stool in front of the hall began to sing, and they stopped talking to listen. The beat up hat finally finished and everyone applauded heartily.  


Professor McGonagall unrolled a large scroll of parchment and then declared, "When I call out your name you will put on this hat and it will decide which house you belong in. Then you are to sit at the chosen houses table."  


Linda leaned over the table and whispered to Natalie, "I was _very_ scared when I was called up."  


"Anderson, Ella!" Jessi's tiny sister walked, trembling, up to the stool. She picked up the sorting hat, pulled it on, and sat down.   


It took some time before the hat called out "GRYFFINDOR!" Jessi, clearly relieved, applauded harder than anyone else. "Way to go Ella!" Yelled Jessi as "Bowen, Lester" quickly became a Ravenclaw.  


"Castro, Felix!"

"Hufflepuff!"

As the sorting continued Natalie could not help but let her mind wander. The sorting was all too scary and exciting when it was you who was being sorted. But watching was a bit boring.  


Her stomach grumbled and Natalie wished the sorting would end so they could eat. At once, though, she regretted it. A sorting was an important part of Hogwarts students' lives.  


"Johnson, Martha!"

"Slytherin!"  


"Kastov, Clifford!"  
"Hufflepuff!"  


Natalie glanced down the long table. Her gaze stopped at Dennis Creevey a second longer before moving on. Ever since the first day they had arrived at Hogwarts, as first years, she had been smitten with Dennis. Actually, it started after he fell off one of the boats into the vast, black lake and was pushed out of it by a giant squid. There was something admirable about that.  


Finally, with "Young, Shavonne" being sorted into "GRYFFINDOR!" the sorting ended.  


"At last," Jessi could not help but whisper.  


Professor Dumbledore stood up. "Well, I shall delay your eating no longer."

He sat back down and the feast began. The dishes magically filled with roast beef, chicken, mashed potatoes, steak, and every delicious thing imaginable. The hall rang with delighted chatter.  


"That Nearly Headless Nick is a fright," declared Ella Anderson, not loud enough for him to hear of course.  


"Yes, I think you get used to him after awhile," said Linda. "Or at least I hope."  


Natalie laughed. "I'd imagine so, the fifth years appear not to mind him any."  


This was true; Sir Nicholas was seated next to, across from, and diagonal from fifth years. They were just carrying on their conversations as if a ghost wasn't sitting by them, and a nearly headless one at that.  


After some time the food disappeared and desserts replaced them. Treacle tars and other such treats were now in front of the students. Everyone ate their desserts quickly for they were all quite exhausted.  


"Now that we have all eaten," proclaimed Dumbledore. "I have a few announcements."  


"Remember that the Forbidden Forest, as its name suggests, is off limits to all students. Also, magic is not to be used in the corridors." Dumbledore rambled on. "I am happy to reveal that we have a new teacher in our midst."  


At this, everyone's eyes shifted over the head table. An old, frazzled looking witch that Natalie did not recognize was sitting there.  


"Meet our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Arabella Figg." Many students clapped politely and Professor Figg smiled at them all.   


"That is all. I suggest you get to bed if you want to be keen in your lessons. Sleep well." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in the light as he stat down and started a conversation with the new professor.  
  
All the students slowly made their way out of the Great Hall and onto their separate houses. When they reached Gryffindor's portrait hole the bushy haired girl Natalie had seen on the train announced, "The new password is Seeker."  


Natalie, Linda, and Jessi went through the open portrait hole and up to the dorm they shared. The three girls changed into their nightgowns in record time. They lie in bed, talking, until all of them had drifted off to sleep.  


For the first time since she had started at Hogwarts, Natalie was pleased to have had a normal day.  


FIN

* * *

  


  


  



End file.
